Control mechanism for bottle feeding conveyers



Sept. 1, 1936. M H, NUSSBAUM, 2,052,840

' CONTROL MECHANISM FOR BOTTLE FEEDING CONVEYERS Filed Aug. 9, 1935 2Sheets-Sheet l ills/V111 H Nzzss 522m p ,1936. M; H. NUSSBAUM 2,052,840

CONTROL MECHANISM FOR BOTTLE FEEDING CONVEYERS Filed Aug. 9, 1955 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Malt/1&7 h. Nussbazzzzz UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICECONTROL MECHANISM FOR BOTTLE FEEDING CONVEYERS Melvin H. Nussbaum,Bainbridge, Ga. Application August 9, 1935, Serial No. 35,543

4 Claims.

This invention relates generally to apparatus for separating bottles andsimilar objects, in movement on a conveyer, into batches ofpredetermined number, preparatory to feeding said batches to mechanismfor crating, filling, mixing or otherwise operating upon the bottles andtheir contents.

The main object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the typereferred to, which can be cheaply manufactured and readily applied toany conveyer for the purpose of automatically separating bottles and thedetermined number.

like into batches of pre- Other objects of the invention will becomeapparent as the detailed description thereof proceeds.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of one embodiment of theinvention as applied to a conveyer used to feed bottles toward a mixingmachine;

Figure shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the same 2 is a plan View of the mechanismmechanism but with the parts thereof moved to different perativepositions;

Figure 4 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line 3-0 ofFigure 1; and

Figure is a fragmentary plan view to an enlarged scale of stop mechanismforming part of the present invention.

slidably supported on the horizontal face 2 of a channel iron 3 formingpart of supporting framework (not shown) A rear guide plate 4 issuitably supported by brackets 5, 6, and 'l', with its face 8perpendicular belt I. So far as the cerned, the guide plate r-a:, whichforms the to the plane of the conveyer invention proper is con- 4terminates at the line entrance of mechanism designed to receive batchesof bottles or the like for crating or filling or mixing the contents ofthe bottles fed by the conveyer beyond the plane of the line :r-sc. Themechanism to designated generally by the character M forms no part ofthe presof the line a:-ac and reference the right ent invention, but ismerely shown in the drawings diagrammatically to indicate generally sometype of mechanism used to receive the bottles in batches as they are fedalong the conveyer by the control mechanism.

A front guide plate 9 is secured, parallel to the rear guide plate 4, onmeans of the brackets I0, II, and

the channel iron 3 by Near the right hand end of the apparatus, theplate 9 is provided with a slot I3 through which projects part of a starwheel M, which is suitably secured to a shaft l5 journaled in bearinglugs I6 and I1 projecting from a bracket l8 suitably secured to 5 thevertical flange i9 of the channel iron 3. The shaft I5 is provided witha pinion 20 meshing with a spur gear 2| fixed to a counter shaft 22,likewise journaled in the bearing lugs l6 and I1, and having a stop disc23 suitably secured to the lower end thereof.

A stop pin 24 is fixed to the upper face of the disc 23 in such positionas to rotate into contact with one end 25 of a lever 26, which ispivoted between its ends to rotate about a stud 21 projecting upwardlyfrom the horizontal flange 28 of an L-shaped bracket 29 fixed to theflange IQ of the channel iron 3. The other end of the lever 26 is bentto form an upstanding arm 30, which in turn, is bent at its upper end toform an inwardly projecting arm 3| held normally in yielding contact atits inner end with a gate 32 forming part of the guide plate 9.

The gate 32 forms a closure for the opening 33 in the guide plate 9, andis held normally in closed position by the inward pressure of the arm 3|under the action of a tension spring 34, one end of which is secured tothe lever 26, while the other end is secured to the flange IS. A bracket35 extends horizontally from the flange l9 and forms a support for thelever 26. A stop plate 36 limits the outward movement of the gate 32,and a stop plate 31 on the striking edge of the gate 32 forms a rabb-etto receive the end of the guide plate 9 defining one edge of the opening5' 33; Directly opposite to the stop 36, the rear plate 4 is providedwith a cam 31 to control the operation of the gate 32 and lever 26 underconditions hereinafter described.

In the normal operation of conveyer devices 40 for feeding bottles tofilling or mixing machines, the bottles B are spaced apart atpredetermined intervals on the conveyer belt I. As shown in thedrawings, they are fed from left to right toward the machine M. When thegate is closed, as shown in Figure 2 of the drawings, the end 25 of thelever 26 is in contact with the pin 24 on the disc 23, and preventsanti-clockwise rotation of disc 23 and mechanism connected thereto.

As shown in the drawings, the star wheel I4 is provided with eightarcuate recesses; and the gearing 20 and 2| connecting the shafts l5 and22 are proportioned so as to cause the star wheel to rotate twice duringeach complete rotation of the control disc 23. When the controlmechanism is positioned as shown in Figure 2 of the drawings, the starwheel [4 is locked against rotation in clockwise direction; andcontinues locked until the bottles B fed by the conveyer belt I arecrowded into contact with each other as shown in Figure 3 of thedrawings.

As each bottle passes the cam 31 it gives a slight opening movement tothe gate 32 and causes a slight oscillation of the lever 26 about itspivot 2i. The end 25 of the lever 26 is wide enough to permit thisslight oscillation without moving out of stopping contact with' the stop24 on the disc 23. However, when the bottles become crowded into contactwith each other, as shown in Figure 3, the pressure of the bottles tothe left of the cam 31 forces the bottle directly opposite the cam 31outwardly against the gate 32 to cause an oscillation of the lever 26large enough to move the end 25 out .of contact with the pin 24. Whenthis occurs, the pressure of the bottles against the star wheel causedby friction of the conveyer belt I against the bottoms of the bottles,forces the star wheel to rotate in clockwise direction until sixteenbottles have been passed toward the mixing machine M. When the sixteenthbottle shall have passed the star wheel, the stop pin 24 is in contactwith the end 25 of lever 26; and the star wheel is again locked againstclockwise rotation.

It will be apparent from the drawings that as soon as the star wheelbegins its counting operation, the outward pressure on the gate 32ceases and the gate moves the bottles into alignment with the row ofbottles on the conveyer. This movement permits the gate 32 to closeunder the action of the spring tension arm 3| and moves the end 25 ofthe lever 26 into the path of rotation of the stop pin 24 so as to causea locking of the star wheel l4 immediately after the passage of thepredetermined number of bottles, which in this case is sixteen.

It will be noted from Figure 3 of the drawings, that there are twentybottles arranged between the gate 32 and the star wheel just prior tothe operation of the star wheel. This arrangement is designed to ensurethat there will always be at least sixteen bottles in that particularspace to actuate the star wheel when the latter is released from itslocked position.

It will be obvious that this counting mechanism is not limited to usewith any particular type of machine designed to receive bottles or thelike in batches of predetermined number. The counting mechanism isoperable solely by the pressure due to friction of the conveyer againstthe bottoms of the objects on the conveyer, to

separate the objects positively into batches of predetermined number.

What I claim is:

1. A substantially horizontal support, a con- -veyer moving continuouslyalong said support,

guide plates fixed to said support and extending along opposite edges ofsaid conveyer, one of said guide plates being provided with a slot, acounting wheel rotatably mounted on said support and having a partthereof projecting through said slot into the space between said guideplates, said slotted guide plate having a gate spaced apart from saidslot by a distance sufficient to permit a predetermined number ofconveyed objects to accumulate therein, stop mechanism connecting tosaid gate and counting wheel, means for normally holding said gateclosed and said mechanism in position to prevent operation of saidwheel, and means on the other guide plate to deflect a conveyed objectagainst said gate to open the gate and thereby effect release of saidwheel.

2. A substantially horizontal support, a conveyer moving continuouslyalong said support, guide plates fixed to said support and extendingalong opposite edges of said conveyer, a lever pivoted between its endsto said support and extending lengthwise thereof, a counting wheelmounted to rotate on said support near one end of said lever and havinga part thereof extending into the space between said guide plates, saidlever being normally positioned to lock said wheel against rotation, andmeans connected to the other end of said lever and operable by thepressure of a conveyed object to move said lever from looking engagementwith said wheel, said means and wheel being spaced apart a distancesuflicient to permit a predetermined number of conveyed objects toaccumulate therein, and a cam on one of said guide plates for deflectingthe conveyed objects against said means.

3. A substantially horizontal support, a conveyer moving continuouslyalong said support, a guide plate fixed to said support and extendingalong one edge of said conveyer, a second guide plate mounted on saidsupport parallel to the first named guide plate, said second guide platehaving a gate hinged to swing outwardly from the space between saidguide plates, means on the first guide plate to deflect conveyed objectsagainst said gate and counting mechanism operably connected to said gatefor separating objects on said conveyer into batches of predeterminednumber, said gate and counting mechanism being separated by a distancesuflicient to permit the accumulation of said predetermined number ofconveyed objects therein, said mechanism be ing operable only when thegate is swung outwardly by the said deflecting means and by contact withthe last object of said predetermined number nearest said gate.

4. A substantially horizontal support, a conveyer moving continuouslyalong said support, a guide plate fixed to said support and extendingalong one edge of said conveyer, a second guide plate mounted on saidsupport parallel to the first named guide plate, said second guide platehaving a gate hinged to swing outwardly from the space between saidguide plates, a stop rotatable on said support and extending across saidconveyer at a distance from said gate sufficient to permit apredetermined number of objects to accumulate therein, means operablyconnected to said gate for releasably locking said stop normally in itsposition across said conveyer, and means on the first guide plate andopposite said gate to deflect conveyed objects against said gate andcooperating with the last'of the accumulated objects to swing said gateand operate said means to release said stop.

'MELVIN H. NUSSBAUM.

